Extensive coverage of high profile violent youth crimes in the
media may initially lead one to conclude that crimes committed by youths,
particularly females, are increasing in number and seriousness. Public concern
about youth crime is fuelled by beliefs that rates of violent youthful
offending are escalating and that youth justice responses need to become
harsher to deal effectively with this problem. Indeed, public perceptions of
increases in youth crime, particularly violent youth crime, have fuelled three
rounds of amendments to the Young Offenders Act.

There is a strong public perception that violent youth crime is
rising. The most recent statistics show that violent youth crime actually
decreased 4% in 1996 over 1995. However, 1996 saw the first notable decline in
youth violence since the Young Of fenders Act came into effect in 1986. From
1986 to 1994, youth violence more than doubled, increasing an astounding 125%.

And yet, the overall increase in violent youth crime since 1986
needs to be put into perspective. While the portion of youth court cases
involving violent offences increased between 1986/87 (13%) and 1994/95 (21%),
the increase has been largely attributed to a significant increase in minor
assault cases. This increase in minor assault cases has been attributed by many
to society's growing intolerance for undesirable youth behaviour. For example,
it is believed that there has been a significant increase in reporting to
police of such incidents as minor school yard scuffles, or of any unwanted
touching of one youth by another that is legal grounds for an assault charge.
Some schools have instituted zero tolerance policies which require that all
disruptive incidents be reported to the police rather than informally handled
by the school itself. In many jurisdictions, police now automatically lay
charges against youths involved in minor assaults rather than diverting young
people into community alternatives. Therefore, the data does not clearly
indicate that youth crime is increasing in severity or becoming a larger
proportion of all crime. Rather, the way in which undesirable youth behaviour
is dealt with by the police and society as a whole may have changed.

Whatever the cause of the increase in the proportion of violent
youth crime, violent crime still constitutes a very small portion of crimes
committed by youth. Property crime comprises almost half of all youth court
cases while violent offences represent only 21% of youth court cases.
Comparatively, violent offences comprise 28% of crimes committed by adult
offenders. Furthermore, most violent crime is committed by adults 18-34 years
of age.

Young offenders do commit a disproportionate amount of violent
crime relative to their portion of the Canadian population. Young people 12 to
17 years of age comprise 8% of the Canadian population but account for 13% of
those accused of violent crimes . However, adults 18 to 34 years of age commit
an even more disproportionate amount of violent crime. Adults 18 to 24 years of
age represent 10% of the population but account for 22% of those accused of
violent crime. Adults 25 to 34 years of age comprise 17% of the population but
account for 33% of those accused of violent crime.

There is also a perception that the nature of violent youth
crime is increasing in brutality. There is presently no way to reliably
determine whether this is in fact the case, other than to examine youth
homicide rates. In terms of proportions, homicide rates are deemed to be among
the most accurate indicators of crime trends. This is because the offence of
murder affords little opportunity at any point in the criminal justice process
for outside factors to bias a case's handling (ie., the seriousness of murder
means reporting or charging rates for this crime should not change over time).
National statistics show youths are responsible for approximately 47 murders
each year or roughly 8% of all homicides, a proportion that has remained
unchanged for at least a decade. Homicide statistics suggest that violent youth
crime is not, in fact, becoming increasingly brutal.

A number of recent high profile cases of violence perpetrated by
teenage girls has advanced the perception that girls in particular are becoming
increasingly violent. While the number of girls being charged with criminal
offences has increased, boys still account for most of the youths charged.
Girls comprise only 20% of the youth court caseload. Therefore, boys are much
more criminally active than girls. However, minor assault charges increased
more rapidly for girls than boys from 1986-1990. Further, violent crimes
actually comprise a higher proportion of crimes committed by girls than boys,
about 25% versus 20% respectively. The narrowing gap between the sexes in
criminal offending has been attributed to changes in child socialization and
police practices. Despite these changes, the number of violent crimes committed
by girls is still relatively small.

The changes in youth offending patterns over the past decade are
not nearly as dramatic as the public perceives. While youth violence has
increased in the past decade, much of this increase is attributed to changes in
societal attitudes towards youth violence rather than an actual increase in
youth violence. The discrepancies between public perceptions and statistical
fact are such that Canadian society has been gravely misinformed about youth
crime. Such misconceptions often lead to intolerance and punitive attitudes
towards young people in general. For example, there appears to be a significant
decline in community responsibility for young people. Many communities are no
longer willing to address the needs of young people themselves, relying almost
exclusively on the criminal justice system to address youth misbehaviour,
however minor. The growing popularity of zero tolerance policies in Canadian
schools is an example of this trend.

Many juvenile justice experts agree that the media are chiefly
to blame for false public perceptions regarding criminal justice issues. The
Canadian public is inundated with sensational youth crime stories. High profile
incidents involving young people across Canada and around the world are
featured in the media on an almost daily basis. Media coverage of such
sensational incidents extends from the moment the crime is committed until
sentencing and beyond. Such extensive media coverage of high profile youth
crime, even crimes committed in the United States or Britain for example, leads
the Canadian public to believe that youth crime is rampant in their own
communities. Given that about 95% of the Canadian public cite the media as
their primary source of criminal justice information, the media is a key place
to start in correcting public misconceptions about youth crime.

Government and police responses perpetuate the myth of the
seriousness of youth crime through, for example, efforts to amend the Young
Offenders Act and introduce tougher sanctions for young offenders. The
continuation of these beliefs can serve to frustrate attempts to educate the
public and bring views in line with the official statistics. However, evidence
exists that members of Canadian society can become better informed and make
more enlightened decisions. This can be accomplished through, first, improved
public knowledge of the criminal justice system, second, a better informed
media accompanied by more accurate media reports and third, efforts to respect
and address the very real fears that accompany public misconceptions about
youth crime.

The September issue of The Reporter featured an article
on parental liability laws. The new Manitoba Parental Responsibility Act was
discussed and the article indicated Alberta's intention to introduce similar
legislation. Alberta Justice has since announced its intentions to monitor the
implementation of the Manitoba legislation to determine its effectiveness
before any consideration is given to the introduction of such legislation in
Alberta. Therefore, the Alberta Government is not currently committed to
introducing parental liability legislation. This represents an opportunity to
express your views on parental liability to the government before a policy
decision is made.

The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie, in conjunction with
the Grande Prairie Catholic and Public School Districts and Peace Wapiti School
District, is pleased to offer a program which aims to re-integrate potential or
recent school leavers back in to the regular school system. The program targets
youths 13 to 16 years of age who have a demonstrated interest in returning to
school on a full-time basis.

The re-integration coordinator works with each student to
develop an individual program plan that is designed to meet their specific
needs, such as academic, personal or vocational. The academic portion of the
program consists of correspondence courses and tutorial assistance, primarily
in math and language arts. The re-integration program provides students with a
less threatening structure than the regular school system. Increased individual
attention and assistance, along with a broad range of optional courses and
instructional activities provide students with a more positive educational
experience. The program helps students develop better work habits and assume
responsibility for their academic success.

Re-integration program students are also assisted in recognizing
and resolving personal development issues. The student's program plan may
include social, life and coping skills development, individual and group
counselling, and assistance with problem solving and decision making. Personal
development sessions and workshops are an integral and significant component of
the program. These include field trips, guest speakers and community
partnerships.

In the 1996-97 school year, 31 students were enrolled in the
re-integration program. As of June 30, 1997, 77% of the students were either in
school or working.

The entire Grande Prairie community benefits from the
re-integration program. The re-integration program contributes to a lower
school drop out rate and decreased youth involvement in criminal activities.
The re-integration program also provides opportunities for increased parental
involvement and support. The community is a partner in the re-integration
program and cooperates in the educational process by providing volunteer tutors
and guest speakers for the personal development portion of the program. The
community also contributes to the program by providing recreational and work
experience opportunities to the students.

The re-integration program is funded by Grande Prairie Catholic
and Public School Districts, Peace Wapiti School District, Grande Prairie
United Way, private donors and Grande Prairie John Howard Society.

The John Howard Society of
Alberta "Reporter" is distributed free of charge to a wide audience of
citizens, educators, agencies and justice system staff. Our goal is to provide
information and commentary on timely criminal justice issues. We welcome and
encourage your feedback on the "Reporter." The John Howard Society of Alberta
is an agency composed of citizens in Alberta who are interested in criminal
justice reform and preventing crime in our communities. We recognize that crime
and its control is as much the responsibility of the community as it is of
government.

We gratefully accept donations
to help offset the costs of our efforts in criminal justice reform and crime
prevention. Donations are income tax deductible. To provide feedback, obtain
information or make a donation, please contact us at: